IMMEDIATE RELEASE             July 11, 2006

NOTE TO EDITORS AND INTERESTED PARTIES: A press event announcing the launching of the "Great Ships Initiative" will begin at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority building, 1200 Port Terminal Drive, Duluth, MN. The event is open to the public.

Duluth, MN, and Superior, WI, U.S.A. - A $3.5 million research center—the first in the Great Lakes region designed to specifically focus on developing the technology necessary to prevent the introduction of aquatic nuisance species into the Great Lakes by ocean-going ships—will be announced Wednesday with the launching of the “Great Ships Initiative.” Leaders of over a dozen major U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports will be joined by scientists and federal agency officials at a ceremony in Duluth/Superior harbor to announce the project.

Research efforts will be based within the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The project will be co-managed by the Northeast-Midwest Institute, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.

An executive committee of maritime industry stakeholders will provide broad oversight for the plan. Several technical advisory committees will provide advice on topics relating to ships' engineering and biological efficacy.

Adolph Ojard, Duluth port director noted; "Aquatic Nuisance Species are unwelcome hitchhikers; they are an unintended consequence of international maritime commerce. The sooner we develop technology to keep these organisms off ships, the sooner this problem will be solved."

The Great Ships Initiative received initial funding of $500,000 through the efforts of Congressman David R. Obey (D-WI) in federal fiscal year 2005. Congressman Obey secured an equal amount in fiscal year 2006. Since that time, additional funds or in-kind contributions have been provided by the following project partners:

* The U.S. Department of Transportation
* The U.S. Maritime Administration
* The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
* The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
* The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
* The Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute
* The City of Superior
* The Duluth Seaway Port Authority
* The Port of Milwaukee
* The Illinois International Port District
* The Ports of Indiana
* The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
* The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
* The Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority
* The Port of Toronto, Ontario
* The Port of Hamilton, Ontario

Additionally, the project has received endorsements from Wisconsin Governor, James Doyle, the Great Lakes Cities Initiative, Great Lakes United, a regional conservation organization, and Fednav Limited, the largest operator of ocean shipping on the Great Lakes.

CONTACTS:

Allegra Cangelosi - Project Manager
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Phone: 202-464-4007
E-mail: acangelo@nemw.org

Steve Fisher - Executive Director
American Great Lakes Ports Association
Phone: 202-625-2102
Email: fisher@greatlakesports.org

More Press Releases, 2006